June 1997

Eugene Chadbourne and Paul LovensPatrizioVICTO

Subtitled "A Suite To The Waiters Of The World," here fretted instrument maniac Chadbourne vents his craziness with the help of a steel-bodied Dobro, an electric guitar, a five-string banjo, and his partner, who plays drums and violin from a similar mind set. With "song" titles like "Johnny Won Ton And Donna Ly," "Second Serving Of Snail," and "Acid Disco Stomach," a strong vein of humor runs throughout. (It recalls this joke: During a break, a listener comments to a musician, "Do you know you were drooling when you were onstage?" "Know it ? Hell, I wrote it," the musician exclaims.)

On the more serious side, Chadbourne does produce an amazing variety of sounds from his instruments, coaxing scratching noises, squeals, off-the-fingerboard pizzicatos, slippery glisses, koto-like riffs, and even Djangoesque musings. All the while, Lovens approaches his role with the same zeal, using sticks, fingers, and whatever else is available to heighten the mood and texture at hand. A piece of advice for those who choose to sample Chadbourne's adventurous fare: Keep the Pepto handy.